Daveigh Chase, the one-time child actor best known for her work in “Lilo & Stitch” and “The Ring,” died from AIDS and substance abuse, a medical examiner’s report revealed on Monday.
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The actor, whose real name was Daveigh Schwallier, was 35 when she passed away on June 16.
While the case status was still listed as ”open,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed the cause of death as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The report by investigator Trini Godoy and Deputy M.E. Dr. Martina Kennedy also found that “chronic polysubstance use” was a contributing factor.
The findings did not include details of what drugs might have been used by Chase in adding to her demise.
At the time of her death, the actor’s father John Schwallier told NBC News that she died of complications of bacterial meningitis and a blood infection.
Chase was homeless in Los Angeles and suffering from severe malnutrition, according to her father.
A former manager for Chase could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.
Chase was one of the most accomplished child actors of the early 2000s, building a strong resume with roles on hit shows like “ER,” “Charmed,” “The Practice” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”
But her breakthrough year was 2002, when she played the voice of Lilo Pelekai in the Disney animated hit “Lilo & Stitch.”
That same year, Chase starred in the smash horror film “The Ring,” playing the terrifying child ghost Samara, who would haunt viewers of a cursed VHS tape.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
